Tag Archives: keurig

I was browsing through a home furnishings magazine that focuses on strategy for the furniture retailer today. The publisher was writing about the revolution that Keurig has caused in the coffee industry. She noted that Keurig has caused millions of coffee drinkers to throw away their old Mr Coffee and buy a new Keurig instead. Then buy dozens of flavors of K-cups and if they don't like them, throw them out too! It's beautiful, because by creating all these choices– some that customers won't like– you're increasing sales as products are thrown away and replaced with new.

The publisher's challenge to furniture retailers was to do the same thing as Keurig– come up with furniture that would make home owners throw their old furniture out and replace it with something new and more exciting. Frequently! Just like K-cups. She even went so far as to say that retailers should figure out a way to make money every time you sit in their chairs (like Keurig makes money every time you buy another K-cup)!

Whoa! What do you think about this?

I'm amazed at the lasar-like focus on profit to the complete exclusion of environmental concerns. It seems pervasive in the furniture industry, although there are outliars (those would be the small American furniture companies that remained here in the USA when the big guys like Ethan Allen, Bassett and Broyhill outsourced to Asia 30 years ago).

Our philosohpy at Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture is different. We know we have to turn a profit to keep our business thriving but we're doing that by focusing on the fact that your furniture is a long term investment and something you can enjoy forever. We strive to make furniture with timeless designs so it will never go out of style or have to be replaced. We offer a lifetime guarantee on the quality of our furniture. And we're pretty sure you'll be handing it down to your grandchildren rather than throwing it out on the curbside with the last Keurig you bought.